You Color My World
by yuuris-piano
Summary: Yamaguchi is like anybody you may know. He's kind, he likes flowers, he can be a tease, he's secretly a clean-freak, and he's in love. To say the least, he was captivated by a color that he never thought he could see. About twenty years later, he can finally see the details that he never noticed before. *Color Blind AU*


Before Mr. Sun was wide awake that morning, Yamaguchi had already slipped out of bed and began gardening. Well first, he had to roll off the bed like a ninja so that Tsukishima wouldn't wake up. It was harder than it looked. This particular bed may've been squishy and easy on their backs, but it made as much noise as any other bed. Not to mention, Tsukishima was a light sleeper. That's why Yamaguchi's optimal morning usually started off with him waking up on the edge of their shared bed. It was much easier to slip out quietly on the edge than army crawl past blankets, pillows, and hugged-deprived limbs.

Falling off the bed with ease, Yamaguchi spent at least a minute rubbing his poor nose as it burned. Rising to his feet slowly, he leaned over the bed and pulled the blankets closer to Tsukishima's shoulders so that he could stay warm. Very carefully, Yamaguchi picked up his pillow and gently dropped it over Tsukishima's arms. Immediately, his partner's arms pulled the pillow close to his chest, and the man nuzzled his nose against the pillow. Oh, if only Tsukishima knew what he was hugging. At least he was still asleep. Pulling off his ring, Yamaguchi placed it by the nightstand before tiptoeing out of the room. He ninja-ed his way down the stairs, picked up a tray of sprouting plants from the kitchen, grabbed his trusty shovel, and pulled on his shoes before stepping out onto the front porch.

His sneakers dug into the soft grass as he crouched down with the tray of sprouts in his arms. Setting it down gently, he dug a few holes with his shovel and carefully inserted the fragile plants into their new home. Since he woke up a little later than usual, Yamaguchi had to forgo his gloves if he wanted to beat the rising sun. The squishy dirt softened his calloused fingers as he patted down a mini-wall around the sprouts so that they had their own privacy and space, _at least for the beginning._

A bird sang its song in a tree somewhere, but Yamaguchi didn't pay much attention to the melody. His sprouts needed all of his attention. Shaking most of the dirt off from his hands, he caressed the sprouts' leaves. They all felt waxy and smooth, _a good sign in his book._ Satisfied with his findings, Yamaguchi ran around the house to grab the hose and watered his darlings before Mr. Sun was at the horizon.

"Do you like that, Mrs. Tulips?" The tulip bunch swayed with the breeze, and Yamaguchi was grinning from ear to ear as he crouched down to listen to what they had to say. He had heard the phrase " _sweet nothings"_ before, but this was a twist to the original meaning. Though the tulips couldn't speak with words, their leaves tickled his cheeks. The older ones had soft petals that were splashed with designs that no one could ignore. It was a sweet treat to see the designs every morning because Yamaguchi knew that he'd be the first one to admire them as he watered his plants.

Oh, the tulips weren't the only ones that got to hear his sweet comments. The old rose bush by the front porch looked _happier_ when it got its morning water. Yamaguchi swore he saw the leaves perk up, and a Mr. Butterfly landed daintily on a bud among the shining leaves and droplets. Of course, Yamaguchi made sure to give the new plants plenty of water before washing his hands. He couldn't see an immediate change from them yet, but he knew that they were happy. Being outside with siblings and older plants somehow encouraged sprouts to grow a little stronger during the early stages. Yamaguchi didn't know the science behind it, but he liked to believe that the older plants were passing on their advice to the younger ones.

"Admiring the view?"

Yamaguchi turned his head and saw Tsukishima walking down the porch steps with a mug of milk by his lips. There was always something funny about seeing someone so well-composed drinking milk in the morning at the crack of dawn. Even funnier was that Tsukishima was still in his P.J.s, and he squinted at Yamaguchi with pursed lips.

Yamaguchi rolled his eyes. _Forgot his glasses somewhere, probably._ Even if Tsukishima did forget, he should've noticed their outline on the kitchen table. Turning off the hose and grabbing his shovel, Yamaguchi stood up. "I like to stay with the plants as long as I can before the sun comes up."

Tsukishima took another sip of milk. "I'll make breakfast. Cereal or pancakes?"

"Cereal, please." Rolling up the hose and storing it away, Yamaguchi climbed up the porch steps and stepped back into the house. Under the blessings of an air conditioner, Yamaguchi managed to peel off his clothes in the bathroom before washing up. The usual tiled walls needed a good cleaning again as Yamaguchi brushed his teeth in the shower. Crusty bits of _who-knows-what_ had gathered into the shower's corners along with loose strands of hair. He didn't know whose hair it was, but he always assumed that it was his since a good clump managed to part ways with him in almost every shower session.

As Yamaguchi dried himself off with a towel and stepped out, his mind kept taking notes of the dirty room he was in. Specks of tooth paste somehow managed to hit the top corners of the bathroom mirror, and Yamaguchi knew only one other person who could do such a thing. That _person_ was downstairs in the kitchen, getting Yamaguchi's cereal ready. _Buy Kei a new tooth brush._ Yamaguchi picked up his partner's tooth brush and wondered how it managed to keep Kei's teeth squeaky clean for so long. The bristles were worn down to nothing, and Yamaguchi was pretty sure that if any tooth paste got on it, it would just slide right off because there was nothing strong to hold onto.

To say the least, Yamaguchi dropped the brush into the trashcan before leaving the bathroom. The sizzling sound of bacon managed to reach his ears as he pulled on a t-shirt and some pants, and the smell was already tickling his nose. Putting his ring back on, he skipped over to the kitchen. Yamaguchi poked his head in and saw Tsukishima rummaging through the fridge for milk. For the first time in weeks, Tsukishima was finally wearing the new apron Yamaguchi had bought for him.

Even though Yamaguchi couldn't see the chibi-dinosaur with the chef's hat, he was pretty sure Tsukishima was checking it out. No _, he was definitely checking it out because Tsukishima had the milk carton tucked by his elbow._ Leaning against a wall, Yamaguchi cleared his throat. Tsukishima banged his head against a fridge shelf.

"Hi, Tadashi. Didn't hear you come in." Tsukishima's head was still in the fridge. Yamaguchi shuffled over and wrapped an arm around his partner's middle.

"I see that you're admiring the apron I got you."

"You're mistaken. I'm looking for milk." Yamaguchi could clearly see him put the milk carton back into the fridge. "Oh, look. I found the milk." Laughing, Yamaguchi bent down and kissed Tsukishima's cheek as the man grabbed the carton again. Tsukishima's cheek got a few shades darker, and that was enough teasing Yamaguchi was willing to do for this morning.

"Whatever you say, Kei. Whatever you say." When the sizzling bacon finally made it onto a plate and after Tsukishima got his third milk refill, he and Yamaguchi were ready for breakfast. Tsukishima was wearing his glasses, so that was a good sign. Yamaguchi's cereal hadn't run out yet, so that was a good sign too. As they ate, they held hands under the table. It was Fate that their dominant hand was opposite from the other's. The crunch of Tsukishima's bacon and the clanging sound of Yamaguchi's spoon accompanied their breakfast chews while Tsukishima read on the newspaper and while Yamaguchi stared at the different shades of his cereal.

"Today's the day." Tsukishima didn't look up from his newspaper, but his thumb rubbed over Yamaguchi's hand. "Are you ready?"

Yamaguchi broke out of his trance. "I'm sorry. Ready for what?"

" _To see colors._ "

Yamaguchi's spoon fell into the cereal bowl, splashing milk onto the table. Tsukishima looked up at him, but Yamaguchi couldn't do the same for him. He simply looked down at his cereal. He may've been staring into his cereal's soul, but all he saw were different shades of… _something._ Doctors have told him before that the _color_ was gray, and that he was simply seeing different shades of it. Yamaguchi bit his lip.

"Tadashi?" Tsukishima gently shook his partner's shoulder. Shaking his head, Yamaguchi looked at him and managed a weak smile.

"Sorry about that. I guess I spaced out a bit." He picked up his spoon and stirred his cereal around. "I don't know what'll happen if I could see everything like you." Tsukishima squeezed Yamaguchi's hand and vice versa. Even if his eyesight was failing, his world was completely different from Yamaguchi's. He got to see a blurry mesh of colors without his glasses and organized colors with his glasses. Yamaguchi saw neither except different shades of the same thing, _over and over again._

Yamaguchi never talked about his color blindness. He just accepted it as fact and went with it. He never got offended when someone asked if he knew what colors were. In all honesty, when your world is composed with just one color with different shades, the word _color_ itself and its plural form meant nothing. Yamaguchi wasn't afraid to speak up if he needed help identifying things like ripe bananas at the supermarket, the colors of the traffic lights while Tsukishima drove them both, fashion combinations, and whatnot. Hearing Yamaguchi ask him for help was something that Tsukishima never got used to.

How could he describe _colors_ and be certain that Yamaguchi understood? Bur right now, the opportunity for him to see was here. In Tsukishima's brain, it was the right thing to do for his partner. In his heart, it felt wrong. Yamaguchi was never concerned about colors before, so why push him to see them now?

"I want you to try it out." The words crept out of Tsukishima's mouth before he could stop them. "If the opportunity presents itself, it wouldn't be wise to deny it and remain ignorant."

Yamaguchi spooned himself a soggy bite of cereal and nodded. "I guess you're right." Breakfast was silent after that, but Yamaguchi would occasionally ask Tsukishima what colors he could see in the kitchen. Tsukishima was always ready to reply. After eating, the two got ready for the appointment. Tsukishima managed to get them both at the optometrist's office early. Get in early; leave early. That was the plan.

The woman that they were seeing had Yamaguchi's special glasses ready. She smiled at their matching rings as they greeted themselves to her. She asked Yamaguchi a few questions about the depth of color he could see before passing him the glasses.

She smiled. "I suggest you close your eyes when you put them on."

Yamaguchi stared at the glasses. They looked just like Tsukishima's glasses and for a moment, he wondered if this was a joke. It couldn't be, but it sure felt like one. Luckily, Tsukishima wasn't recording him with his phone. The two had an unspoken agreement that this moment was between them and the optometrist alone. Hands shaking, Yamaguchi closed his eyes and placed the glasses on.

"Mr. Yamaguchi, open your eyes."

Instinctively, Yamaguchi grabbed Tsukishima's hand. " _I want you to be the first person I see when I open my eyes_." His voice was barely above a whisper, and his grip tightened. Tsukishima squeezed his partner's hand and shifted his position so that he was face-to-face with his lover. Biting his lip, Yamaguchi opened his eyes. At first, he squinted at Tsukishima. He rubbed his eyes and then opened them again, wider this time. Tsukishima had seen this look before. This was the same look Yamaguchi had when the two first met all those years ago at a park playground.

Yamaguchi couldn't tear his eyes off of Tsukishima. He reached up and touched his partner's face, admiring it from every angle. A smile broke over his mouth as he ran his hand through Tsukishima's hair, over Tsukishima's clothes, over his own clothes, and Yamaguchi whipped out his phone so that he could see his reflection. The optometrist gave Yamaguchi a mirror, and he stared at himself with wide eyes. The whole time, he was giggling and mumbling under his breath as tears spilled down his cheeks.

" _Oh my gosh._ " Yamaguchi stared at his optometrist and his husband. " _Did the world always look like this_?"

"Tadashi, do you want to walk around?" Tsukishima asked. "There's so much more that you're not seeing here."

Yamaguchi got to keep those glasses after thanking his optometrist again and again. Tsukishima drove him around the city, and Yamaguchi kept crying and pointing out things like a little candy that got to see the city for the first time. Tsukishima showed him which _color_ represented what color, and Yamaguchi's smiles grew sweeter as he took in every detail that he never saw. Tsukishima parked by an outdoor shopping mall, and the two walked around. Yamaguchi couldn't stop squealing, and people were staring at them when Yamaguchi kept asking Tsukishima questions. Tsukishima didn't care about the stares. He narrowed his view and only focused on the man before him.

For fun, Tsukishima escorted Yamaguchi to an art museum, and they spent at least three hours there because Yamaguchi wanted to see everything and remember every detail that he wouldn't see normally. Just seeing how bubbly Yamaguchi was made Tsukishima feel all warm and fuzzy inside. As they drove home around evening to prepare for dinner, Tsukishima stayed outside as Yamaguchi watered his plants

"Kei, they're more beautiful than I thought they'd be," Yamaguchi whispered, petting his plants and rubbing his thumb over their leaves. After watering his plants, Yamaguchi took his time to admire each and every one of his " _children_ " before finally taking his glasses off.

Tsukishima sat down on the porch steps. "Had enough fun?"

"For today." Yamaguchi sat next to him and squeezed Tsukishima's hand. "I'm just so… _overwhelmed._ What if I wake up tomorrow and this was all just a dream?"

"It'd be a nice dream. What was something you wanted to see?"

There was a pause before Yamaguchi rested his chin on Tsukishima's shoulder. "I wanted to see the color of your eyes. The first time I saw your eyes, I saw something I never saw before." He looked up and brushed Tsukishima's bangs over to the side. "Now, I can see that sight for the rest of my life."


End file.
